NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB vs AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT: real performance and FPS — which is better? Full comparison
Detailed gaming performance comparison
Reference CPU: Intel Core i5-13400
We compare the GTX 1060 3GB and the RX 6500 XT with real FPS across the most popular games at 1080p, 1440p and 4K, plus specs, launch price and AI upscaling support (DLSS/FSR/XeSS). See at a glance which is better for your resolution and budget.
The RX 6500 XT is ~10% faster than the GTX 1060 3GB on average at 1080p.
GTX 1060 3GB
- Index (1080p)
- 20/100
- VRAM
- 3 GB
- Price (MSRP)
- $199 · ≈ €183
- $/FPS (value)
- $9.48 · ≈ €8.72
- Upscaling
- FSR
RX 6500 XT
- Index (1080p)
- 22/100
- VRAM
- 4 GB
- Price (MSRP)
- $199 · ≈ €183
- $/FPS (value)
- $8.65 · ≈ €7.96
- Upscaling
- FSR
Average FPS by resolution
Estimated average FPS for each graphics card across the most popular games. The gap usually shows at 1080p and 1440p; at 4K both lose smoothness and upscaling (DLSS/FSR) helps.
| Resolution | GTX 1060 3GB | RX 6500 XT | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 21 | 23 | +10% |
| 1440p | 13 | 13 | = |
| 4K | 5 | 5 | = |
Which one for your resolution?
RX 6500 XT (+10%)
Tie
Tie
Specifications
Side-by-side specs of the GTX 1060 3GB and RX 6500 XT: VRAM, power draw (TDP), performance index and launch price. The better value in each row is highlighted in blue.
| Spec | GTX 1060 3GB | RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | NVIDIA | AMD |
| VRAM | 3 GB | 4 GB |
| TDP | 120W | 107W |
| Tier | Entry-level | Entry-level |
| Score 1080p | 20 | 22 |
| Score 1440p | 14 | 14 |
| Score 4K | 7 | 6 |
| Price (MSRP) | $199 | $199 |
| Architecture | Pascal | RDNA 2 |
| Process Node | TSMC 16nm | TSMC 6nm |
| Shading Units (CUDA/Stream) | 1152 | 1024 |
| RT Cores | — | 16 |
| Texture Units (TMUs) | 72 | 64 |
| ROPs | 48 | 32 |
| Base Clock | 1506 MHz | 2310 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1708 MHz | 2815 MHz |
| FP32 Performance (Teraflops) | 3.94 TFLOPS | 5.77 TFLOPS |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |
| Memory Clock | 8000 MHz | 18000 MHz |
| Memory Bus | 192-bit | 64-bit |
| Memory Bandwidth | 192 GB/s | 144 GB/s |
| PCIe Version | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 4.0 |
| Transistor Count | 4.4B | 5.4B |
| Release Date | 2016-08-18 | 2022-01-19 |
Power & efficiency
TDP doesn't tell the whole story: here's how much each GPU delivers per watt it draws.
GTX 1060 3GB
- TDP
- 120W
- FPS/W
- 0.17
RX 6500 XT
- TDP
- 107W
- FPS/W
- 0.21
The RX 6500 XT is more efficient: it draws 13W less and delivers more per watt, though the RX 6500 XT is still the faster card overall.
What FPS do these GPUs get in your game?
Pick the GPU and the game, and we'll take you straight to its real FPS.
Pick the GPU
Gaming Performance
Per-game FPS detail at 1080p Ultra. The graphics card that wins each title is highlighted in blue.
| Game | GTX 1060 3GB | RX 6500 XT | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 23 | 26 | RX 6500 XT |
 | 22 | 24 | RX 6500 XT |
 | 17 | 19 | RX 6500 XT |
 | 18 | 20 | RX 6500 XT |
 | 19 | 21 | RX 6500 XT |
| 18 | 20 | RX 6500 XT | |
 | 22 | 25 | RX 6500 XT |
 | 23 | 26 | RX 6500 XT |
 | 26 | 28 | RX 6500 XT |
 | 21 | 23 | RX 6500 XT |
Verdict
AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT wins in 10 out of 10 games
At CheckFPS we measured both cards across 10 popular games at 1080p, 1440p and 4K on a reference CPU. The RX 6500 XT comes out ahead by around 10% more FPS on average, and that lead holds up as resolution climbs. That's why we recommend it as the most balanced option for gaming; still, if the price gap is wide, the other card remains a sensible buy.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions when comparing the GTX 1060 3GB with the RX 6500 XT.
Which is better, the GTX 1060 3GB or the RX 6500 XT?
On average at 1080p, the RX 6500 XT is 10% faster than the GTX 1060 3GB. The best one for you depends on your resolution, budget and whether you prioritise ray tracing or price.
Which is better at 4K?
At 4K Ultra, the GTX 1060 3GB averages 5 FPS and the RX 6500 XT 5 FPS across the most popular games. For smooth 4K, enabling upscaling (DLSS/FSR) helps on both.
Is it worth paying more for the faster one?
At 1080p or 1440p the FPS gap may not justify the extra cost; at 4K or with ray tracing the faster card matters more. Check the by-resolution table to decide.
Which has better ray tracing and upscaling?
AI upscaling (DLSS on NVIDIA, FSR on AMD, XeSS on Intel) raises FPS on both; for ray tracing, GeForce RTX cards usually lead. See each card’s support above.
How big is the FPS difference between them?
On average across top games, the gap is around 10% at 1080p. At higher resolutions (1440p and 4K) the relative difference usually stays similar.
1060 3GB vs 6500 XT: what's the real difference?
In performance, the RX 6500 XT beats the GTX 1060 3GB by around 10% more FPS on average at 1080p — the gap shifts a bit by resolution, as shown in the table above. If you're torn between the 1060 3GB and the 6500 XT on price, the price and $/FPS section above can help you decide.
